Stuttgart's build-up runs through Stiller before the wide players feed Undav and Demirović. Atlético can screen that first central pass and attack the space left when Stuttgart's fullbacks advance. Both sides have also changed games with their substitutes, so the contest should keep shifting after the opening spell.
Stuttgart created a high volume of box chances at Hamburg but struggled to put them on target and left space for a late shot at the other end. Atlético kept creating at Espanyol with Koke already absent, and Barrios, Álvarez and Baena have supplied both early and late scoring moves. Romero's new absence reshapes Atlético's defensive cover, while Stuttgart's older absences were already present at Hamburg and its returning players did not play there. The current Atlético midfield and forward connections give them a strong route through Stuttgart's recovery defence. That is why I’m siding with Atlético Madrid to win.
